The Shari’a law is one of which stands above all else, holding power over decisions to be made, whilst ensuring the togetherness of a community… but for how long? When does this change? Or, should I say, does it ever change? I’ve been scratching my head at the thought that the Shari’a law is slowly fading in the contexts of the modern state. The more that our education changes, the further away we are driven from the practices we once used to preach and the natural path that the Quran used to lead us to. As more time passes by, and as more development takes place, the further it is that we walk away from what is meant to stand above us all. How does modernity and development cause so much change, or, what is modernity and development and why does it cause so much change? The questions I have begin to tangle between the walls of my brain, as I wonder and wonder to see what has changed.
Modernity, through my perspective, is a concept that is, more often than not, used to persuade one to accept what may be against his morals, ethics, or religion — marketing the idea of open-mindedness with no regards to what one may believe. To reject something that is to be accepted by majorities is now considered to be a one-way exit out of the “modern” communities. Modernity in the context of education has definitely changed, and Hallaq writes, “One therefore can speak not only of education as the accurate embodiment of the civilization’s central domains, but also of its political governance and political constitution,” which brings me to my point on how general education today, cannot be an “accurate” representation of any ideologies due to the vast differences between the levels of modernity the education has implemented. To use a real-life example of this would be to compare private and public schools in Qatar, where in private schools, we learn about concepts revolving around men and their “femininity” and how it must be accepted, and in public schools, we learn about how men must remain masculine and avoid things like makeup and nail polish. The toxicity between the differences also lies in using culture and reputation as a part of religion when it truly isn’t. So yes, nail polish and makeup are not allowed for men, under the Shari’a law, but the idea of men not being able to express any sense of femininity — due to the internalized, and externalized, toxic masculinity — is more so a cultural thing rather than a religious law.
Where I stand with Hallaq’s perspective and ideas is still a little unclear to me. It feels more like I’m standing on a slippery slope; accepting all those around me and also following in the footsteps of Islam and not letting the Shari’a law slip any further. What is there to do in a case where you want the best of both worlds, but technically, you can only have one?